The present invention relates generally to a support base for outdoor equipment, such as a condenser unit of an air conditioning system, and particularly to a lightweight support base made of plastic material.
Outdoor equipment such as the condenser unit of an air conditioning system is usually supported on pre-cast concrete slabs, which are typically very heavy and require the services of several workers to transport, handle and install. Onsite poured slabs are also used, but is time consuming due to construction of a form and mixing of concrete. These concrete slabs, either pre-cast or made onsite, can generally support more load than they are typically used for, which results in underutilization.
There is therefore a need for a lightweight support base for an outdoor equipment that can be easily transported and installed onsite and is better suited to smaller equipment, which is generally lightweight.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support base for an outdoor equipment that is lightweight.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a support base for an outdoor equipment that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a support base for an outdoor equipment that is made from plastic foam material that has the appearance of a concrete slab.
In summary, the present invention provides a lightweight equipment base comprising a foam core having top, bottom and side surfaces; a first layer of paint disposed on the top and side surfaces; sand particles disposed on the top and side; and a second layer of paint disposed on the top and side surfaces over the sand particles.
The present invention also provides a method of making a lightweight equipment base, comprising providing a foam core having top, bottom and side surfaces; applying a first coat of paint on the top and side surfaces; before the first coat of paint dries, applying sand particles on the top and side surfaces; and applying a second coat of paint on the top and side surfaces.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.